Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth: Does It Actually Help?

If a tooth twinges with cold, heat or sweet food, the first step is not a new toothpaste. It is a visit to your dentist or Oral Health Therapist, who can work out what is going on.

Flossy & Pure is a cosmetic toothpaste. It cleans, freshens and leaves teeth feeling smooth and polished. It is not made to treat any tooth condition, and I would rather say that plainly than sell you a tube for the wrong reason.

Why teeth can twinge

Under your enamel sits dentine, and dentine is not solid. It is threaded with thousands of microscopic channels called tubules, running from the outer surface down toward the nerve. Each one holds fluid.

When enamel wears thin or root surface is exposed, those tubules can open to the outside world, and cold, heat, sweetness and pressure can trigger a short, sharp twinge.

That is the accepted explanation, called hydrodynamic theory. The pain is not the nerve touching the air. It is fluid moving in a tube.

The two approaches on the shelf

There are toothpastes made specifically for this, and your dentist or pharmacist can recommend one if it suits you. Flossy & Pure is not one of them. Ours is an everyday cosmetic toothpaste: we use 3% nano-hydroxyapatite for a smooth, polished, clean feel.

What to expect, honestly

A toothpaste is for everyday cleaning. It will not fix a tooth problem, and if someone promises that in three days, be sceptical.

Twinges can have many causes. This is the important one.

When it is not the tubules

A toothpaste will not fix any of these, and reaching for one instead of a dentist wastes months:

• A cracked tooth. Sharp pain on biting or releasing, usually one specific tooth. Needs diagnosing.
• A dying or inflamed nerve. Pain that lingers well after the stimulus, wakes you at night, or throbs. That needs a dentist, and it does not resolve on its own.
• A hole in a tooth. This can show up as a twinge with sweet or cold food.
• A failing filling. Leakage under an old filling causes exactly this.
• Grinding. If you clench or grind, that needs addressing at the source with your dentist.

Rule of thumb: any twinge that keeps coming back, lingers, throbs, wakes you, or sits in one tooth deserves a check-up. See a dentist or Oral Health Therapist.

What is causing the exposure

Worth knowing, because otherwise you keep causing it.

Acid. Citrus, soft drink, sparkling water, wine, vinegar, and reflux. Acid dissolves enamel and exposes dentine. Sparkling water surprises people: it is mildly acidic and a bottle sipped across a morning is a long exposure.

Brushing too hard, or too soon. Enamel softens for a while after anything acidic. Brushing straight after can wear it. Wait around thirty minutes, or rinse with water and brush later. Hard bristles and heavy pressure can cause wear over years.

Exposed root surface. Root surface has no enamel over it, so you can feel more when it is exposed. Your dentist can tell you why it has happened.

Whitening treatments. Both in-chair and at-home peroxide commonly cause temporary twinges.

Grinding. Often overnight and unnoticed until the wear shows up.

What I would actually do

1. Book a check-up. Your dentist or Oral Health Therapist can tell you what is causing it and what will help.
2. Choose a gentle everyday toothpaste you enjoy using. If it leads with an ingredient, look for a stated percentage. We use 3% nano-hydroxyapatite in a mild mint.
3. Spit, don't rinse, after brushing. Spit out the excess and stop. This is one of the most common things I suggest, and it costs nothing.
4. Soft brush, light pressure. If your bristles splay within a month you are pushing far too hard.
5. Deal with the acid. Not necessarily giving things up, but not sipping them across an hour.
6. Wait after acidic food or drink before brushing.
7. If anything is still bothering you, see a dentist. There are in-chair options, and it is worth ruling out the causes a toothpaste cannot touch.

The summary

A twinge with cold or sweet food is worth a check-up rather than a guess. Your dentist or Oral Health Therapist can tell you what is behind it and recommend the right product.

Flossy & Pure is a gentle, cosmetic everyday toothpaste. It cleans, freshens and polishes, and it will do nothing for a cracked tooth or an inflamed nerve.

Frequently asked questions

Can hydroxyapatite toothpaste fix tooth twinges?

Our toothpaste is a cosmetic product for everyday cleaning, and it is not made to treat any tooth condition. If your teeth twinge, see your dentist or Oral Health Therapist.

What toothpaste should I use if my teeth twinge?

Ask your dentist or pharmacist. There are products made for this, and they can recommend one that suits you.

Why do my teeth suddenly twinge?

Common causes include acid wear, brushing too hard or too soon after acidic food, exposed root surface, recent whitening and grinding. Pain in one tooth, or pain that lingers, may point to something like a crack or nerve inflammation and should be seen by a dentist.

Should I rinse after brushing?

We suggest spitting out the excess rather than rinsing. It is a simple everyday habit.

Flossy & Pure toothpaste is a cosmetic product and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For advice about your own teeth, speak with your dentist or Oral Health Therapist.

References
Brannstrom M. The hydrodynamic theory of dentinal pain. Journal of Endodontics. 1986;12(10):453-457.
Vano M, Derchi G, Barone A, Covani U. Effectiveness of nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste in reducing dentin hypersensitivity: a double-blind randomized controlled trial. Quintessence International. 2014;45(8):703-711.
Enax J, Epple M. Synthetic hydroxyapatite as a biomimetic oral care agent. Oral Health & Preventive Dentistry. 2018;16(1):7-19.